So there are two components that are not sitting right by me: 1) this compulsion that retailers create and set upon the market to buy items for holidays, 2) these throw away items are cheaply made in countries on the other side of our planet and carry a ridiculously high carbon footprint.

This is no revelation. It’s been discussed many times. But, let’s discuss it some more and maybe a few people will jump aboard and change their spending behavior.

The calendar of compulsion. Is there EVER a time in America’s retail calendar that some holiday/event is not pushing cheap goods? Let’s think about it:

January pushes post holiday excess and Valentines candy/trinkets.

February pushes President’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

March pushes the arrival of spring and Easter. Tack on Mardi Gras too, even if you don’t live in NOLA.

April pushes graduations.

May pushes Memorial Day and weddings.

June pushes the Fourth of July.

July pushes back to school both in supplies and clothing even though it won’t be cold enough to wear a sweater for another five months.

August pushes Labor Day, Halloween and “the fall harvest”. What is the point in buying a scarecrow when you have no garden? Or, when the corn has been harvested so there is no crop to protect?

September pushes Thanksgiving and Christmas.

October and on pushes Christmas, etc

November pushes Veteran’s Day.

December on pushes New Year’s.